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Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

Tinariwen Release New Video For "Iswegh Attay"

Celebrated North African "Touareg" band Tinariwen will be premiering a new video for their song "Iswegh Attay" off their Grammy nominated Anti-Records release Tassili today at Pitchfork.com. The beautifully shot clip features the band performing the mournful and evocative song as they enact a ritualistic tea drinking ceremony sacred to their nomadic North African culture.

The ceremony depicted involves green tea, fresh mint, lots of sugar and a meticulous preparation. When the first pot is drained, the process is repeated using the same tea leaves, but adding sugar. Then it's done a third time. Tea is always brewed thrice. It's a ritual as rigid and formal as a Japanese tea ceremony. The name of the three tea servings; the first is bitter as death, the second is sweet as life and the third is soft as love.

The haunting and rhythmic music played over artistically shot images of this ceremony create a mood of longing and loss that is unforgettable. To view this video care of Pitchfork.com, just go here.

On Tassili the renowned "Touareg" band returned to the essence of their hypnotic desert blues sound. Recorded in the South-Eastern Algerian desert, the band is joined by Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone of TV On The Radio. Later on, virtuoso guitarist Nels Cline of Wilco and the horns of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band contributed.

"Let's get one thing straight: Tinariwen is just about the best guitar-based rock band of the 21st century." - NPR